Door Panel Separating. Door Alignment

[Chrispy]

After getting my +2 delivered home after it's trip on the back of a truck from Melbourne.

First think I noticed was both doors had dropped to the point of scrapping the paint on the jamb When I first inspected the doors closed beautifully. I think the very long drive on the truck jiggled them down a bit. The doors can be lifted 10mm or so at the handle end - is this normal? Or are new bushes required? The hinge mounting point doesn't appear to be moving. How is the angle adjusted? Just loosen off the bolts inside the cabin, re-align and tighten?

Also when poking around in there I noticed what looks like the door panel separating at the top towards the hinge Is this cause for major concern? What should I do about it? Some sort of glue? Is it a major repair? It's also occurring on the passenger door, but not as bad. I'd rather get it fixed early before it might turn into something nastier.

I don't know much about the restoration work which has taken place so far. I don't think it's had a new body, there are a few unused holes in the engine bay etc, but it appears to be in really good condition overall.

Drivers door (RHD). I can expand the joint with my fingers. Also the door card doesn't seem to be very well attached, almost like it's a touch small for the attachment points - could be pulling on the frame. There is also a empty hole on the brightwork which looks like a screw or rivet should be there. Am I missing something important?

Passenger door. Similar issue, but nowhere near as bad. Also showing the empty hole. Door card appears to fit better on this side.

[Chrispy]

And while we're at it, is there some sort of protector for the paint where the little switch/sensor contacts with the door? It's already dented the fibreglass and damaged the paint. I've put on some electrical tape to help protect it in the meantime.

[alan.barker]

Sounds like you will need to change the bushes in the door hinges. They are nylon and the same as trunnion bushes. Good luck it is not easy to remove the hinge assemblies from the doors. When you have got the doors off you will need to remove the countersunk screw in the bottom of the vertical hinge pin which is always well rusted
Alan

[Hawksfield]

crispy

Looks like you have trim missing from that section of the doors, not sure which model of +2 you have but mine is as attached

Its a rubber section that provides the top seal between door and body

If that's how the restoration work has been completed its of poor quality IMHO

[alan.barker]

Someone has added that seal it is not original. I've had 3 +2s ?lans and none of them had that.
Alan

[mbell]

Someone has added that seal it is not original. I've had 3 +2s ?lans and none of them had that.
Alan

My car has it and personally believe it to be standard on at Least some +2 even if it wasn't all or still fitted on all.

[alan.barker]

In the past i had a 1968 +2 no seal, also a 1970 +2S no seal and the last was a 1973 +2S130 no seal.
The last the 1973 +2S130 for sure never had this added on seal and it was a very original car it even had the dirt shields on the rear suspension.
Primary seal section BM n? 1 ref 050B6029
Secondary seal section BM n?2 ref 050B6030
On the 1970 +2S there was a secondary seal riveted to the body above the door hinge about 20 cms long.
Can you tell me where the seal is on the parts list please.
This is new to me having worked on ?lans since 1976
Alan

[Bud English]

My 70+2S has both the seal in the picture and the short add on strip Alan describes. The seal in the picture runs all the way down the fiberglass flange and around the front bottom corner of the door, sealing the front and partial bottom of the door. ...and neither seal shows in the parts list. Perhaps a service bulletin or???

Also talked about here: lotus-chassis-f36/another-bodywork-question-t13209.html#p59458

[alan.barker]

Well you never stop learning with Lotus Elans
Alan

[Chrispy]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

My car is a 1967 +2 non-S.

I was thinking that it looked like a good place for a rubber seal, but assumed that the seal on the main body of the car was sufficient.

How are the halves of the doors supposed to be bonded together?

[M.J.S]

This has caught my attention as my 130/5 appears to be missing those seals, and that might go some way to explaining why on the rare occasions it was used in the wet, water would find its way through the top front edge of the passenger door (wetting the wife, not me, so not an urgent repair ).

Would somebody do me the honour of a photo showing the end/section/shape of the trim, and I'll source one. Martrim are usually my choice. Are they just pvc edge trim, or is there some additional padding on there too?

Thanks

Mark.

[Hawksfield]

MJS

On my example they are the same rubber section as the door aperture seal
My car (see my previous post) they are still the original seals and are fitted with sealant under the door card where it meets the window frame, it looks like what we called Dumdum years ago

Beware when you change all these seals they take some time to bed in, when I replaced the door aperture seal I could not close the doors.

Good luck

[M.J.S]

Thanks John.

[Chrispy]

Been having a poke through the service manual and found this:

So not totally unknown then...And gives a repair method.

This also may be of interest to some, a reference to the secondard seals, which I assume are the seals on the door.

[alan.barker]

The secondary seal is the short one riveted above the door opening on some cars but not all.
I think they came from a land rover but i don't remember what model. They have a strip of metal inside the moulding.
Alan